New Skipper at the Danish Open

source by: Flemming Vitus/Gordon Smith

Everything is in place for the start of match racing world’s Danish Open event on the waters of Skovshoved, north from Copenhagen, Denmark (10th -13th August).
The only current change to the line up of invited crews being the withdrawal of Ian Ainslie from America’s Cup Team Shosholoza, due to team commitments.

In Ian’s place the Royal Matchrace Center (a part of the Royal Danish Yacht Club) has had its invitation to Bjørn Hansen of Sweden accepted. Bjørn is a very competitive and competent match race sailor, having been active in the sport for a number of years. He is currently lying at number 8 in the world ranking list.

Amongst the rest of this highly competitive fleet are such formidable skippers as Jesper Bank, Jes Gram Hansen, Peter Gilmour, Sten Mohr and Dorte O. Jensen.

There will be 12 crews in all at the start on Thursday the 10th August, where the prize money will be at least 375.000 kroner.

ISAF World Match Race Rankings

Peter GILMOUR (AUS) continues his unbroken run in the top spot this year, with victory at the ISAF Grade 1 Locman Cup - Elba Island the latest success for his PST team. That win rounded off a completely dominant display in the 2005-2006 World Match Racing Tour, where the Australian skipper ended up with almost double the points of his nearest challenger Ian WILLIAMS (GBR). Victory in the World Tour also meant GILMOUR lifted his fourth ISAF Match Racing World Championship Trophy.

Chris DICKSON (NZL) claimed victory in the other major event in the latest Rankings’ period, beating GILMOUR in the semi-final on his way to lifting the ISAF Grade 1 Portugal Match Cup. That win sees the BMW ORACLE Racing skipper move up five places to eleventh, and he is the only skipper in the top 20 only counting seven of a possible eight events. The other major change in the top 20 sees Martin ANGSELL (SWE) as a new entry at 19, moving up from 26 after winning the ISAF Grade 4 GSYS Match 2.

Aussie One Two
Back at the top, Luna Rossa’s James SPITHILL (AUS) maintains his second place, whilst Frenchman Sébastien COL (FRA) moves up to occupy the World number three spot. Consequently Italy’s Paolo CIAN (ITA) falls to fourth as part of the rolling Ranking calculation, whilst WILLIAMS remains fifth. Russia’s Eugeniy NEUGODNIKOV moves up two places to seven after winning Russia a spot at the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final after victory at the ISAF Grade 2 Regional Final for Europe 1 in Finland.

The other Nations Cup action in this Rankings’ period saw Portuguese 470 star Álvaro MARINHO (POR) win the ISAF Grade 2 Regional Final for Europe 2 in Slovenia. This boosts him up from 205 to Portugal’s highest ranked sailor at 109.

After a strong performance that saw him reach the semi-finals in Portugal, Jes GRAM-HANSEN (DEN) is the highest of four new entries into the top 50, going from 67 to 41 and still counting just seven events. Just outside the top 50, Germany’s Sven-Erik HORSCH scored victory on his home waters at the ISAF Grade 3 Alster Match Race Act 3 to climb from 89 to 57.

Lysekil Women’s Match Starting in One Week

source by: Josefine As

12 of the world’s best female skippers are invited to battle for the greatest prize money in women’s match racing – 400 000 SEK / 43 000 Euro - in this Grade 1 race by the sea side town of Lysekil on the west coast of Sweden.
List of 12 competitors is as follows(the number in clambers is the actual world ranking):

Claire Leroy FRA (1) Team Ideactor
Marie Björling SWE (2) Team Schenker
Klaartje Zuiderbaan NED (3) Team Klaartje Zuiderbaan
Linda Rahm SWE (7) Team Daros
Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen DEN (10) Team HSH Nordbank
Malin Millbourn SWE (13) Team Santa Maria
Jessica Smyth NYZ (15) Team Jessica Smyth
Josie Gibson GBR (16) Team Josie Gibson
Giulia Conti ITA (19) Team Giulia Conti
Camilla Ulrikkeholm DEN (22) Team CU
Martina Karlemo FI (25) Team Martina Karlemo
Ulrike Firk GER (30) Team Ulrike Firk

Read more about the event and its participants on Match Race Events section

Chris DICKSON (NZL) pipped Magnus HOLMBERG (SWE) in Portugal

Chris DICKSON (NZL) pipped Magnus HOLMBERG (SWE) within yards of the finish line to win the $100,000 ISAF Grade 1 Portugal Match Cup, stage one of the 2006-2007 World Match Racing Tour.
Shifty conditions with gusty ten to 15 knot winds were challenging for the finalists. DICKSON streaked to a 2-0 lead before HOLMBERG battled back to even the score 2-2, setting up a one race, winner take all finale.

DICKSON Makes Early Championship Running
In a race with two lead changes, a penalty and slick boat handling, DICKSON won by less than half a boat length. He won $35,000 in prize money and is the early leader in the World Championship standings. The 2006-2007 World Championship will be a series championship among the World Tour events.

A Word From The Winner
 'The conditions are very difficult and we knew we were going to lose some,' DICKSON said after the dramatic 3-2 win. 'We took one race at a time. I lost one start which made it difficult, it was close racing. Magnus and his crew sailed very well.'
'It feels really good,' said NEERGAARD of DICKSON’s crew. 'I guess we just saved a little bit of excitement until the end. Magnus came back really well after we had an easy two races. He beat us quite fair and square in the next two races, so it was all down to the last one. I think we just managed to pull the long straw and just peeped ahead of him by not even ten metres, so it’s pretty good.'

PortugalMatch Cup Results
Final
Chris DICKSON (NZL) d. Magnus HOLMBERG (SWE), 3-2

Petit-Final
Peter GILMOUR (AUS) d. Jes GRAM-HANSEN (DEN), 2-1

Powered by Qumana

Portugal Match Race's getting hot

Day two of stage one of the 2006-2007 World Match Racing Tour season, the ISAF Grade 1 Portugal Match Cup, saw the quarter-finals take shape with six teams advancing to the next round. The temperature of racing is getting higher....

Portugal Match Cup Results
Repechage Round
(After 3 of 5 flights)

1. Ian WILLIAMS (GBR), 2-1
2. Chris LAW (GBR), 2-1
2. Mathieu RICHARD (FRA), 2-1
2. Przemek TARNACKI (POL), 2-1
5. Lotte MELDGAARD PEDERSEN (DEN), 1-2
6. Álvaro MARINHO (POL), 0-3

Round Robin Standings
Group A
(After 5/5 flights)

1. Chris DICKSON (NZL), BMW ORACLE Racing, 5-0*
2. Thierry PEPONNET (FRA), Areva Challenge, 4-1*
3. Peter GILMOUR (AUS), PST, 3-2*
4. Chris LAW (GBR), The Outlaws, 1-4
5. Lotte MELDGAARD PEDERSEN (DEN), HSH Nordbank, 1-4
6. Mathieu RICHARD (FRA), Saba Sailing Team, 1-4

Group B
(After 5 of 5 flights)

1. Magnus HOLMBERG (SWE), Victory Challenge, 4-1*
2. Staffan LINDBERG (FIN), Alandia Sailing Team, 3-2*
3. Jes GRAM-HANSEN (DEN), Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team, 3-2*
4. Ian WILLIAMS (GBR), Williams Sail Racing, 2-3
5. Álvaro MARINHO (POR), Quebramar Match Racing Team, 1.5-3
6. Przemek TARNACKI (POL), Tarnacki Racing/Sopot MR Centre, 0.5-4

(* Advances to Quarter-Final Round)

Portugal Match Cup is under way

Mathieu Richard (foreground) and Lotte Meldgaard at the start of their match in Flight 3, won by Meldgaard. (Imagepress photo)

Stage 1 of the 2006-‘07 World Match Racing Tour season, the Portugal Match Cup, today kicked off in the Bay of Cascais with the only women’s team scoring a win against Mathieu Richard in Group A.
The 3rd annual Portugal Match Cup features 12 teams competing for a $100,000 prize purse, with $30,000 earmarked for the champion. Racing off the Cascais city front, the event is being held in SM40s, the Pelle Petterson-designed match-racer for the World Tour.
The 12 teams have been split into two groups of six.

Chris Dickson (NZL) BMW Oracle Racing
Peter Gilmour (AUS) PSTg
Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) Mascalzone Latino – Capitalia Team
Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge
Chris Law (GBR) The Outlaws
Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team
Alvaro Marinho (POR)
Lotte Meldgaard (DEN) Team HSH Nordbank
Thierry Peponnet (FRA) Areva Challenge 
Mathieu Richard (FRA) Saba Sailing Team
Przemek Tarnacki (POL) Tarnacki Racing Team
Ian Williams (GBR) Williams Sail Racingp

A highlight of Dickson’s three-win day was his match against Law. A lively pre-start saw Dickson win the right side of the racecourse. He played it to win the match for a 3-0 record. Peponnet, tied with Dickson, rolled Law on the run to the finish in the previous flight.
In Group B, long-time Tour competitors Gram-Hansen, Holmberg and Lindberg each went 2-1. Lindberg, however, holds the upper hand among the three with victories against each. The final flight of the round robin will be a teller with Gram-Hansen racing Holmberg and Lindberg against Ian Williams (GBR), Williams Sail Racing. The two placed third and second, respectively, in the 2006 World Championship, an order decided on the last day of the season.
“We won in the first one, we were not very far ahead, but we were ahead all the time, I’d say,” said Lindberg. “Then we lost to the local hero (Alvaro Marinho). He did a good job, he picked the right side of the course and he won. In the third, we were trailing Magnus for a quite a long time but in the end on the last beat we managed to pass him which was very nice and extend slightly on the last run to the finish so we were very happy.”

Powered by Qumana

PST - Christian Scherrer about Elba

If somebody says, that we have a very shifty breeze in St. Moritz he has for sure not sailed in Porto Azzurro yet !
We had a long, tricky and not always easy race week here at the Elba Cup with the PST crew. That’s why we’re really happy that we beat our opponent Ian Williams today in the final 2:1 and secured our win of the Elba Cup. Now we have just a day’s break for travelling and then we’re straight in to the Portugal Match Cup in Cascais.

Trofeo Locman Pictures

Thank's to Stefania Pilan we got some news pictures of the Trofeo Locman in Elba Italy of last weekend

Take a look at the slideshow

Gilmour wins in Elba

Gilmour (Perth, Western Australia) today won the fifth annual Locman Cup – Elba Island. He and crewmembers Rod Dawson, Christian Scherrer, Kazuhiko Sofuku and Yasuhiro Yaji added the event title to their previously won World Match Racing Tour championship and ISAF World Championship of Match Race Sailing.
They earned nearly $120,000 in prize money between the event and the World Tour, including a new BMW X3, and gold medals from ISAF. Last season the team won nearly $180,000 at the final event.
The World Tour and ISAF joined forces earlier this year to award the two championships in conjunction. Besides winning the past two Tour championships, Gilmour previously won the ISAF Worlds in 1990, ’97 and ’98.

1. Peter Gilmour (AUS) PST, 17-5, 35,000€
2. Ian Williams (GBR) Williams Sail Racing, 16-5, 20,000€
3. Cameron Dunn (NZL) Mascalzone Latino – Capitalia, 16-7, 10,000€
4. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team, 8-12, 9,000€
5. Ian Ainslie (RSA) Team Shosholoza, 5-9, 8,000€
6. Thierry Peponnet (FRA) Areva Challenge, 5-9, 7,000€
7. Pierre Mas (FRA) China Team, 3-11, 6,000€
8. Giovanni Segnini (ITA) Locman Sailing Team, 2-12, 5,000€

Read more about the Elba event

Sebastian Cole new skipper for AREVA

The French America's Cup team reports that Thierry Peponnet will no longer be skipper and helmsman.
The team spent Monday and Tuesday in debrief meetings to take stock of the team's situation and to prepare for the future in the most effective way.
After analyzing the elements raised in these meetings, and the results of the 2006 Acts, the management of Areva Challenge made the decision to reorganize the afterguard.
A new coach will come on board to take over the preparation of the team and the development of the afterguard. Marc Bouët, coach up through the end of Act 12, returns to his position at the French Federation of Sailing (FFV).
In agreement with the management of the team, Thierry Peponnet, up until now, the skipper and helmsman, will continue his collaboration with the team by placing at the disposal of the team, his experience and competency. This role will be more defined in the weeks to come.
Sebastien Col now becomes the skipper of Areva Challenge and will take on this position when FRA 60 returns to training in Valencia in September.
At his side, Tanguy Cariou and Nicolas Charbonnier will work with the tactics and strategy in a configuration that will be further detailed this summer. Lastly, Jean-François Cuzon remains at the post of navigator.
Over the course of the next few weeks and months, the team will consider the possibility of reinforcing the afterguard with new team members.

Powered by Qumana

Let's share information about Match Racing!

photo from ISAF Grade 1 event Sopot Match Race 2005, Poland

Hi everyone!
It's been now a while since we keep you up-to-date about information from match racing events world-wide. It's nice to notice that match racing is getting more and more popular around our globe and we are also very happy to see an increasing number of our visitors on MATCHRACE.CH.
However, it would be also great to hear how match racing developped in patricular countries and what is a receipt for its successful growth.
Therefore, let's share this information! Let's talk about the roots of match racing in our countries.
We are looking forward to receiving your mails and photos. Those interested please pass the information on my e-mail: zofijka@hot.pl

Greetings, Sofia

Locman Cup - Semi-finalists are decided

photo by: Guido Cantini

Ian Willimas, Peter Gilmour, Cameron Dunn and Staffan Lindberg are the semi-finalists who will be fighting for the title of ISAF Grade 1 event Locman Cup 2006, the final stage of the 2005-2006 World Match Racing Tour.

Round Robin
(After 10 of 20 scheduled flights)

1. Ian WILLIAMS (GBR), Williams Sail Racing, 12-2
2. Peter GILMOUR (AUS), PST, 12-2
3. Cameron DUNN (NZL), Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team, 10-4
4. Staffan LINDBERG (FIN), Alandia Sailing Team, 6.5-7
5. Ian AINSLIE (RSA), Team Shosholoza, 5-9
6. Thierry PEPONNET (FRA), Areva Challenge, 5-9
7. Pierre MAS (FRA), China Team, 3-11
8. Giovanni SEGNINI (ITA), Locman Sailing Team, 2-12

Locman Cup - first Round Robin completed

source: www.elbacup.org

Yesterday, at the north wind of 14/16 knots, first Round Robin of Locman Cup has been completed. Peter Gilmour got the first defeat from GBR skipper Ian Williams.
That was actually considered to be the most exciting match in the first part of the day. Williams won on the finish line and fatigued in keeping the number one of the specialty international ranking behind. According to this vistory, Williams is to be considered by now the leader of the temporary ranking.

Temporary Standings
1. Williams - 7 points
2. Gilmour - 7 points
3. Dunn - 5 points
4. Lindberg - 4.5 points
5. Ainslie - 4 points
6. Peponnet - 2 points
7. Mas - 1 points
8. Segnini - 0 points

UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour in Thun

Last weekend has been sailed the UBS Alinghi Tour event in Thun.
Mathias Renker won the event by winning all matches.
Here are some photo from Cornelia Geiger of the event.

Photo (c) Cornelia Geiger

View the slide show of the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour

View the results of the event in Thun

Gilmour starts with 4 wins at Locman Cup

Perfect conditions opened yesterday the ISAF Grade 1 Locman Cup - Elba Island which is the eight and final stage of World Match Racing Tour 2005-2006. Peter GILMOUR (AUS), skipper of PST, won all of his opening matches and leads the standings with four points on a 4-0 record.

Locman Cup - Elba Island Results
Round Robin(After 6 of 20 scheduled flights)

1. Peter GILMOUR (AUS), PST, 4-0
2. Ian WILLIAMS (GBR), Williams Sail Racing, 3-1
3. Cameron DUNN (NZL), Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia, 3-1
4. Ian AINSLIE (RSA), Team Shosholoza, 3-2
5. Thierry PEPONNET (FRA), Areva Challenge, 2-3
6. Staffan LINDBERG (FIN), Alandia Sailing Team, 1.5-3
7. Pierre MAS (FRA), China Team, 1-3
8. Giovanni SEGNINI (ITA), Locman Sailing Team, 0-5

World Match Racing Tour - Locman Cup – Isola d’Elba.

Photo (c) Elba Cup

The fifth edition of the Locman Cup – Elba Island, scheduled July 11-16, is the only italian event and final stage of the 2005-’06 World Match Racing Tour, international professional match race circuit. The 100,000€ event, is one of the most important international sailing events of the year.
The Locman Cup - Elba Island will host some of the strongest skippers of the international sailing world.
The television coverage of the Locman Cup – Elba Island will be tough: videos on the regatta will be transmitted all over the world by many tv networks, and Eurosport among them. Moreover Rai will have live programms on 13, 15 and 16th July.

Partecipating Teams to the Locman Cup – Elba Island

-Ian Ainslie (RSA) Team Shosholoza, Challenger America’s Cup 2007
-Cameron Dunn (NZL) Mascalzone Latino - Team Capitalia, Challenger America’s Cup 2007
-Peter Gilmour (AUS) PST, winner of the last WMRT,
-Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team, secont of the WMRT 2005/06
-Pierre Mas (FRA) China Team, Challenger America’s Cup 2007
-Thierry Peponnet (FRA) Areva Challenge, Challenger America’s Cup 2007
-Matteo Savelli (ITA), first participation
-Giovanni Segnini (ITA) first participation
-Ian Williams (GBR) Williams Sail Racing, 5º WMRT 2005/06

Read more in the Match Race Event section

Dorte O. Jensen, the Womens' 2006 World Champion, at the Danish Open

source by: Flemming Vitus and Gordon Smith

It is only a little over a month ago since the Dane Dorte O. Jensen won the Dexia Private Banking ISAF 2006 Women's Match Racing World Championship on the waters off Skovshoved Harbour, north from Copenhagen. In some style Dorte "O" came out on top over a strong field of opponents, including tough matches in the final against the Swede Marie Bjorling.

Now Dorte "O" will again have the opportunity to show what she is made of at the 2006 Danish Open, which will be sailed from the 10th-13th August, again at Skovshoved Harbour.

Read more in Match Race Events section

Alvaro Marinho, the winner of ISAF Nations Cup in Izola talks about the event

Alvaro Marinho, the skipper of the winning Portugal team at ISAF Nations Cup Regional Final - Group 2, shares with us his expressions about the event in Slovenia.

"The competion in Izola was fantastic. We had good weather conditions, light, medium and strong winds and the RC and all the organization were very good. All the people that was working for the ISAF Nations Cup in Izola they new what they were doing. We had a very good weekend for my team, specialy because we are not racing match race very often so we are very happy to beat another team that are more experience than us. Our goal in this regatta was to get the semi-finals but we did it much more and that was very good.
Our semi-finals against the Italians was close race in the first match but in the second we gave them one penalty and we did a calm race in front of them.
The best oponnent for me was Kliba team that make a very good work in the Round-Robin but in my opinion they get to nervous sailing the finals against us maybe because they had more pression in winning the finals (better position in the MR world ranking).
We had a lot of fun sailing in Izola, we start the round robin 1 very well and then we did it a bad 2nd one. Luckly we got better pre-starts in the semis and finals what gave us confidence to win the finals".

ISAF Nations Cup 2006 - Finalists are known

source by: Matija Gorjan

Portugal in Open and France in Women division earned their tickets to Ireland

In a great day for sailing with the most caracteristic wind for the Gulf of Trieste, in which on the southern half is the Slovenian coast with its small part of the Adriatic Sea and even a smaller part of the Mediterranean, match racing crews from seven countries, who took part of the European group 2 of the seven Regional Finals for the ISAF Nations Cup tasted their strengths and sailing skills. The slitly shifting NE from 10 to 18 knots gave them a great opportunity to show who is the best of the five women and five crews racing in the open division.
The Petit finals in the womens group was won by Silke Hahlbrock (GER), which bet Maja Czarniawska (POL) by a clear 2:0. The same was in the open group where Matteo Simoncelli (ITA) gained the third place against Przemyslaw Tarnacki (POL).
In the Finals, the French crew of Claire Leroy, leader on the MR rankings, demonstrated a clear win over the young crew of Giulia Conti (ITA), while the battle between the Croatian Dario Kliba and Porugese Alvaro Marinho promissed and also demonstrated a fierce fight for the higher step on the podium which was won by the promissing Portugese crew.

The final results are as follows:

OPEN DIVISION
1. PORTUGAL - Alvaro Marinho
2. CROATIA - Dario Kliba
3. ITALY - Matteo Simoncelli
4. POLAND - Przemyslaw Tarnacki
5. SLOVENIA - Jure Orel

WOMEN DIVISION
1. FRANCE - Claire Leroy
2. ITALY - Giulia Conti
3. GERMANY - Silke Hahlbrock
4. POLAND - Maja Czarniawska
5. CROATIA - Petra Kliba-Schmidt

Emirates Team NZ wins Louis Vuitton Act 12 and the ACC Season Championship

source: www.americascup.com

Emirates Team New Zealand won a ‘winner take all’ match over Alinghi on Sunday afternoon on the waters off Valencia to win Louis Vuitton Act 12 and claim the 2006 ACC Season Championship.
The ultimate duel was set-up by Alinghi winning the first race this afternoon, squaring the final at 1-1, and forcing the deciding third race. The teams were surrounded by an enormous spectator fleet who cheered every tack and gybe. Conditions were ideal for racing again with a moderate sea breeze generated by the sunny skies.
After its win on the water, Emirates Team New Zealand returned to the Port America’s Cup where it was scheduled to be presented with the Louis Vuitton Act 12 trophy by Rita Barberá, the Mayoress of Valencia, along with the 2006 ACC Season Championship trophy, from Yves Carcelle, the President and CEO of Louis Vuitton. The prize-giving ceremony was scheduled to take place in the public America’s Cup Park, a crowded venue on a sunny Sunday evening in Valencia.

BMW ORACLE Racing wins the petit final in the jury room

BMW ORACLE Racing team won its match on the water over Luna Rossa on Saturday afternoon and followed that up with victory in the Jury room on Saturday night.

TSS Chart (c) www.matchrace.ch

Based on the official notes of the Jury and Peter Isler this is how the accident could happened on the water, however the chart is only our best guess as we haven't seen the incident on the water.

During the last ACT in the match between BMW Oracle (BMWO) and Luna Rossa (LR) occurred a collision
BMWO intends to dip LR at ca 70% up to the weather mark, (see position 1-5) and therefore gaining the right side and an advantage at the windward mark. LR takes shortly before the crossing to port (pos. 5-6) we assume to defend the right side of the course. The contact was caused by stern of LR coming up quickly (pos 6) in accordance to the umpires. BMWO despite his hard luff had no chance to avoid the collision.
The umpire Chris Simon expected a dial down from LR which could avoid the collision, but not a tack .
The umpires penalized LR for R 13.1 (tacking boat shall keep clear see LR pos. 5-6)
Normally an umpire decisions is final, but in an incident with damage the rules allow to protest with a red flag. This open the chance to ask for redress during a hearing, what both teams did.
The jury penalize LR under rule 14 (avoiding contact) and BMWO was awarded the redress for the next match as they had no second boat measurement compliant.
Therefore BMWO get’s his second point and wins the petite final finishing 3rd in the ACT 12.

Read more statements about this incident from the Jury and Peter Isler on Match Race Academy

Nations Cup Slovenia- Semi-finals are over

Source: Matija Gorjan / www.cleanport.si

After finishing the two leftover flights of the double round-robin Dario Kliba came out on top of the result board in Open division, and Claire Leroy in Women division (see the results page). Then came the time for serious business, the semifinals. A light North-Westerly wind kept cooling the heated Izola venue throughout the whole day only with minor shifts.

Semifinal pairs were decided by a draw, and the format was to sail "best of three" matches, changing the boats after every odd match. CRO-POL and ITA-POR were the pairs in Open, and FRA-POL and ITA-GER in Women division.

Surprisingly enough, all fights ended with a 2-0 result (probably because of the football matches on TV in the afternoon??). Kliba(CRO) and Marinho(POR) in the Open, and Leroy(FRA) and Conti(ITA) in Women will go on tomorrow to fight for the first places in their divisions and the Grand Finals, while the rest will fight for the two third places in Petit Finals.

Storms are passing the venue at the moment, but let's hope for a couple of hours of nice conditions tomorrow, to round up this event, that has gone by the plan so far.

Regardless the results of sailing, everybody has a chance to become a winner in the table-football tournament among the crews scheduled for tonight in honor of the Football World Cup in Germany.

LVC ACT 12: ETNZ beats Alingi in the first final match

Photo (c) ETNZ

What an intensive day for ETNZ, first the win against BMW Oracle and qualify for the final and then they go with1:0 against Alinghi.
Close racing, ETNZ takes the lead in the start with 4 sec, then ETNZ increase there gap up to 9 sec witch says until the final run crossing the line with a 17 sec lead.
In the mean time Luna Rossa and BWM Oracle had a collision in the petite final, forcing Luna Rossa to retire, both boats up with a red flag protest. The outcome of the protest is expected tonight.

Powered by Qumana

Solvenia ISAF Nations Cup - Semifinalists are known

Source: Matija Gorjan / www.cleanport.si

The host crew has closed their chances to continue the event on the last mark where the Poles made the best use of an offered situation from their opponent at the last turning mark, where Jure Orel (SLO) had no way of escape. That gave Tarnacki the third point that leads him into the semi finals. In the women’s group, the Croatian crew with Petra Kliba at the helm showed excellent sailing but not enough MR experience. They have won only one of their eight matches, against Silke Hahlbrock (GER), but not enough to make progress to the semifinals.
Excellent sailing conditions with Bora up to 15 knots gave the RC the conditions to finish nine flights. With two to go in the second round-robin we have the next situation:

Open

Simoncelli (ITA) 4:3
Kliba (CRO) 4:2
Marinho (POR) 4:4
Tarnacki (POL) 3:4
Orel (SLO) 3:5

Women

Leroy (Fra) 6:0
Conti (ITA) 5:2
Hahlbrock (GER) 3:3
Czarniawska (POL) 2:4
Kliba-Schmidt (CRO) 1:7

Tomorrow’s weather forecast is promising another great day for sailing. The plan is to finish the last two flights and then go to the semifinals.